This invention relates to high pressure gas containers and the interconnecting gas lines and control valves between several such containers providing gas to a utilization device. More particularly, the invention relates to a nest or pack of such containers and the gas flow lines and valves between the containers of the pack where the containers are identical, conventional, cylindrical containers each having a valve at one end thereof.
Heretofore, conventional cylindrical high pressure gas containers have been connected in parallel to a manifold control that feeds the gas from the cylinders to a utilization device. Most often, the gas cylinders are installed one at a time and connected together in situs at the location of the utilization device. For example, emergency gas supplies including a number of 300 cubic feet or 75 pound capacity high pressure gas cylinders are provided at a utilization device and stand by to maintain operation of the device in an emergency when other power and/or gas sources fail. Such emergency installations are sometimes provided: for refrigeration systems where the cylinders contain CO.sub.2 that typically can maintain low temperatures for a few days in case of failure of a mechanical refrigeration; to supply CO.sub.2 gas to an incubator; to supply oxygen in nursing homes, hospitals and such; to supply compressed air for ventilators and other life support equipment; to supply hydrogen or helium or other gases that cannot easily be liquified; to provide a source for filling smaller gas cylinders for any of the above uses; and to supply nitrogen for running autoclaves and Joule-Thompson types of refrigerators. In all the above mentioned applications and others, each high pressure gas cylinder contains a valve at one end that is completely covered by a protective cap to prevent damage to the valve during use, shipping, etc. and to prevent tampering and inadvertent opening. When the cylinder is used, the cap is removed to provide access to the valve and sometimes the caps are lost, or at least the caps are not put back on and so the valve is then subject to damage and tampering.
As mentioned above, usually, arrangements of high pressure gas cylinders for any of the above uses and others are installed in situs and connected together in situs, sometimes with a common manifold and sometimes without and with individual gas lines running from the cylinders to a utilization device. With such arrangements, container valves may be left uncapped and so are exposed to damage and/or tampering. Where the tanks provide primary or emergency life support, such as oxygen in a hospital, such damage and/or tampering could risk lives.